Teemu Pukki scored just seven goals in one season for Celtic – but enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career last time out.
As most strikers do, Teemu Pukki is hitting his prime with his late 20s coming into view. The 27-year-old was in the form of his life last season with Danish side Brondby.
It’s a shame, therefore, that the 54-time Finland international looks to have missed his chance to make a mark at a major European club. Despite scoring just eight goals in two seasons with Bundesliga giants Schalke, Celtic were still encouraged to pay £3 million to bring Pukki to Glasgow in the summer of 2013 as a replacement for Gary Hooper, per The Mail.
After Hooper netted 31 goals in his final season at Parkhead, however, Pukki managed just seven in his place while admitting that the speed and physicality of the Scottish top flight caught him by surprise, as reported by the Daily Record.
It was little surprise, then, that Celtic let Pukki leave from Brondby almost 12 months to the day after he joined, returning to Scandinavia initially on loan with an option to buy. After netting 10 and 13 goals in his first two seasons in Denmark, however, the one-time Sevilla prospect embarked on the most prolific campaign of his career last time out.
With 25 goals in 36 games, Pukki even scored more than Leigh Griffiths managed in Celtic colours across 2016/17.
That’s not to say Celtic made a mistake letting Pukki go six months after Griffiths arrived from Wolves, with the Scotland striker bringing far more to the table than just clinical finishing. And, with just two goals in 11 league games for Brondby this season, you wonder whether the Kotka born striker’s stunning 2016/17 season is anything more than just a flash in the pan.
Nonetheless, it’s clear that Pukki is a talented striker who, for whatever reason, has failed to fulfil his potential.
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